Frenemies
by deadeb03
Summary: A collection of short one-shots highlighting the various Dragon Ball Z friend/enemy relationships. (P.S. I tried shuffling the stories around to chronological order, but it was messing with the reviews and notifications. I apologize.)
1. Intimidation

**Intimidation**

Prince Vegeta walked his usual pace behind the King. He hated going on inspections with his father. It was boring, tedious, and the last place he wanted to be.

"It's the responsibility of the king to know everything is running smoothly," King Vegeta lectured his young son whenever he complained about the mundane aspects of ruling a planet. "One weak link in a chain jeopardizes the entire unit. Being a king is more than just fighting and ordering people around. If that's all you want out of life, then be an Elite Commander instead of their king." The king's threat would always be followed with the prince's humble apology, sincere or not.

The prince would rather be training. Impressing his teachers with his rapidly increasing strength and ability was like a drug to him. Intimidating others an obsession. The more the others cowered before him - whether due to his royal status or natural-born power - the more he expected, demanded and craved it.

"Welcome Your Majesty, King Vegeta...Your Royal Highness, Prince Vegeta," the hospital staff recited in unison, each bowing low enough so their heads were properly below that of the young prince.

"Rise and report," the king ordered courteously.

The prince forced himself not to roll his eyes or sigh at the monotony of each department trying to impress their king and make their position more valuable than all others. It was the same all over the kingdom. Their obvious flattery to win their ruler's approval turned his stomach. When he took over a king, he planned to rule out of fear, not being kissed up to.

Their tour paused next to the nursery window. While King Vegeta spoke with the technicians, the prince glared at the helpless infants through the glass. These would be the future Saiyan warriors he would rule over. These would be the ones he would command respect from for fear of divine retribution from their new king. Each black-haired baby looked back at him with a mixture of curiosity and awe in their tiny eyes. Except one.

"Hey!" Prince Vegeta called out, tapping on the glass with one gloved finger. "Be quiet when royalty is present!"

"I humbly apologize, Your Majesty...Your Highness," the technician added as almost an afterthought. The prince sneered at him, but his attention was already focused back on the king. "That one hasn't stopped crying since he took his first breath. They've tried everything in an attempt to soothe him, but nothing has worked so far. We requested an early mission launching for him since the noise bothers the others."

As if on cue, another child added their voice to the first and Prince Vegeta gritted his teeth against the assault on his ears. "Shut up!" he shouted through the window, giving a solid rap on the glass with one knuckle. The second child was startled into silence by either the sharp noise or the harsh tone, but the first only paused to take in a breath before continuing his insistent crying.

"Didn't you hear me?" the young prince yelled. He banged his fist so hard on the thick glass, a web of cracks fanned out from the impact. " I ordered you to shut up!"

"Hold your temper, son," the king admonished. With one large hand on his son's shoulder, the king pulled him gently away from the shattered window. "You may be able to scare an infant, but you can't force them to obey with intimidation."

"He'll obey me...one day," Vegeta vowed.


	2. Godfather Frieza

**Godfather Frieza**

Frieza sat in his hoverchair with his newest furry acquisition, a Putarr, sitting on his lap. He idly stroked the creature as he watched the planet grow larger in the viewing window. As always, Zarbon stood by his side showing no signs of restlessness or boredom.

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Remember that, Zarbon."

"Yes, Lord Frieza," Zarbon answered obediently.

"That is why I have so many different species under my command. I conquer a race, then bring their most powerful fighters into my special forces."

"Very wise, Lord Frieza."

"The Saiyans are becoming quite strong as of late. Don't you agree, Zarbon?"

"That's true, Lord Frieza."

Frieza scratched underneath his chin, his head tipped in contemplation. Finally, his mind made up, he nodded and resumed stroking the alien ball of fur.

"I believe I will make King Vegeta an offer he cannot refuse. His son for the lives of his people. Besides, I can raise the boy right with the best training. Mold him into my own image, you could say. With their own prince under my wing, they wouldn't dare attack me."

Zarbon fought to keep the smile from his face. New fighters were always welcome as cannon fodder, but the Saiyan prince under Frieza's personal care could make things very interesting.

"Brilliant, Lord Frieza."


	3. Searching

**Searching**

"Why are there so many blasted trees?!"

A trunk blew apart into tiny splinters as the young green warrior marched through the forest. He refused to alter his course, so anything unfortunate enough to cross - or grow - in his path was brutally eliminated.

"He must be around here somewhere!"

Another huge tree fell, scattering frightened wildlife in all directions. He'd killed dozens of animals - eating some, but leaving most of the ravaged carcasses for scavengers. He didn't seem to need as much as food as when he was growing, but that didn't stop the pleasure received from slaughtering them.

"Three years! Three years of training! Three years of searching! Revenge will soon be mine!"

He could sense himself getting nearer a gathering of lifeforms higher than those of the animals he'd been surrounded by for days. It was stronger than just a few beings. A village? A small city?

Could it be others like him? Ruthless fighters with no concern for any life other than their own? His fingers curled into fists and his lips curled back from his sharp fangs in an excited smile at the thought of possible battle.

"It's been too long since I was truly challenged. I need to test out my increased power!"

Could it be the one he was searching for? The one his inborn subconscious demanded retribution from? Even though his eyes had never seen the one he was compelled to destroy, their face was burned into his memory. Even though they had never met, he would kill the one who killed his father.

"I will make sure the one called 'Goku' learns well the name Piccolo!"


	4. Another Saiyan?

**Another Saiyan?**

"Get up!" Vegeta ordered, kicking his kinsmen awake. "We've got a new mission."

"Already?" Nappa groaned. "We still haven't finished this one."

While his fellow Saiyans roused themselves from their post-full moon semi-coma, Vegeta stood at the edge of the cliff they'd claimed as a basecamp. The bright morning sun revealed the carnage they'd caused in their giant ape forms, but there were still too many rodent-like native creatures scurrying about. Their orders had been complete annihilation. It would take at least a few more days to clear the rest of the lifeforms and be ready for occupation by the highest bidder. If Freiza had allowed them free reign, the job would be done by now, but they'd been given strict orders not to harm the plant life and wildlife. A partially furnished planet could be sold at a greater price than a fully purged one.

Raditz joined him, sitting to let his feet dangle over the cliff and spitting down into the valley. "No rest for the wicked, hunh?"

Nappa sent a small blast from his finger to set a broken tree trunk on fire and threw on a large hunk of meat from one of their recent hunting excursions. "Tell Zarbon when we're done here we need a break. We've gone from one planet directly to the next for too long, now."

"This order came directly from Freiza." Vegeta sat next to the fire and tore off a piece of roasted meat. Chewing, he removed his scouter and the others followed, silently agreeing their discussion was now a private one. "There's a new planet that's going to fetch a high price. The only problem is the idiot buyer already tried to take it over once and failed. It's a strong race. The three of us may have been able to take them easily by surprise, but now that they're expecting an attack..."

"Are we getting extra help, then?" Raditz asked around a mouthful of meat.

Vegeta just shook his head. He'd had a suspicion for a long time that Frieza wanted the Saiyans dead, but didn't want to risk doing it himself. All the dangerous missions were always reserved for the three of them. If they succeeded, Frieza became rich. If they failed, Frieza was rid of them, and the prophecy of him being taken down by the Legendary Super Saiyan would never come true. Vegeta had resisted sharing his fears with his comrades for fear of a mutiny which would get them all killed. One day he would be strong enough to take on Frieza, but not yet. Not yet.

"Then we need a better plan than just dropping in and blasting away," Nappa said. He tossed a cleaned bone into the fire and picked at his teeth with a fingernail. "Too bad crazy Bardock isn't still around. Raditz, your dad may have only been a third-class fighter, but he was great at strategy."

"Kakarot!" Raditz shouted, suddenly jumping to his feet. "Kakarot!" he repeated when the name didn't get a response from either of the other men.

"What are you babbling about?" Nappa asked.

"Not what...who!"

"So who are you babbling about?" Vegeta asked, crossing his arms impatiently.

"Kakarot! My brother! He was sent off on a mission as a baby before the planet was destroyed. I forgot all about him." He started pacing back and forth, pounding a fist into his other hand. "By now he should be strong enough to join us. That is if I can find him. He may have left the planet when his mission was complete, but at least I've got a place to start."

Vegeta weighed his options. Another Saiyan would help in his plan to overthrow Frieza, but would their master see it as a blatant threat and eliminate them once and for all.

"Go look for him," Vegeta ordered, replacing his scouter. "Nappa and I can finish up here. Find Kakarot and we'll be able to clear that new planet in record time."


	5. Fight or Flight

Fight or Flight

_What am I doing here? This is none of my business._

Piccolo floated in the sky, being careful to keep the sun at his back to better hide himself from the people below. He'd suppressed his power levels as low as he could and was focusing his large ears on the intense conversation taking place on the isolated island.

"I've come to take you back into the fold," the intruder announced.

_That explains a lot_, Piccolo thought, his teeth clenched in anger. _That freak of nature isn't human after all._

He'd followed the scary, powerful warrior knowing he was after Goku, even though the stranger used the name 'Kakarot'. He'd been certain Goku was in danger and wanted to see for himself if there was going to be a battle. Although Piccolo wanted to be the one to destroy the annoyingly optimistic, black-haired fighter, he wasn't planning on interfering and putting his own life in danger for the privilege. Now that he learned Goku and the new warrior were brothers from some other planet, he was regretting feeling sorry for him.

"I'll just have to settle for taking the boy in your place."

_So he's not going to blindly follow his brother just because they're family. And he's got an offspring of his own. Interesting…_

Through the memories of the one who hatched him, Piccolo knew Goku had spent his entire life fighting for the weak. Not something he could either understand or stomach. But since Goku had beaten him in the Martial Arts Tournament, Piccolo hadn't heard any news from the fighter of justice. Seeing Goku's reaction to the threat against the small child explained his absence. Like the weak humans, he would stay close to his offspring. Years of training and fighting wasted while he waited for the boy to be strong enough to fend for himself.

"You can start by eliminating one hundred of these pathetic Earthlings."

Piccolo's lip curled into a sardonic grin. _That will never happen._

Goku was such a conscientious person, he'd fight to save people he'd never met before. Piccolo didn't understand it, but knew it to be true. Goku would rather die himself than harm any other being on earth.

"It would be a shame if I had to hurt him." The long-haired alien flew off at an unbelievable speed, the boy's cries trailing behind them.

_Damn, he's fast! I've never seen anything like it!_

Piccolo pondered what he should do next. Should he try to follow the newcomer? He was going so fast, there was no way he could catch up. What would he do if he found him? He was no match for such power and strength alone.

Should he just leave and see how events unfolded? Sure, he'd be disappointed if he couldn't kill Goku himself, but was that enough reason to put his own neck on the line? Was it worth the risk of being killed himself to fight alongside his sworn enemy against the strongest fighter he'd ever met? But if Goku was killed trying to save his son alone, he'd eventually have to face the threat alone himself. Teaming up would be their only chance.

"If we die, please bring us back with the Dragon Balls."

_That's right! They can wish those who have been killed back to life!_

But would they include him in their wish if he died fighting on their side? If he could convince them he was there to help, he believed they were just gullible enough to do it. Besides, he was their best hope to save not only Goku's child but the entire planet. There was no one else even close to his and Goku's power level to stand against this Raditz. But could he stomach fighting on the same side as his arch-rival?

Before he'd even made a conscious decision, Piccolo dropped down to the island below.


	6. Headaches

**Headaches**

"Not again! I don't know how much more I can stand!" Piccolo groaned. When covering his ears with his hands didn't give him any relief, he tried stuffing the ends of his cloak into his ears in a desperate attempt to block the noise.

Night after night it was the same routine. He couldn't understand how Goku put up with it. Piccolo was five miles away and the sound still permeated his sensitive ears, giving him raging headaches. How were Goku and Gohan able to tune out that piercing voice while standing right next to its source?

"If you think I'm supposed to drop everything just because you and Gohan come limping home from whatever fight training you and your buddies are doing out there in the wilderness and then be expected to cook a feast at a moment's notice just so you two can stuff your faces and leave me to clean up your mess while you go back out and do who knows what until you just happen to wander home beat up and in rags again, you have another think coming!"

Piccolo wondered how the woman could keep it up this long. Rant after rant with barely a pause for breath. He warned Goku they shouldn't go back to their house each night. He told him they should train far away from distractions and live off the land, but the stubborn Saiyan refused to be away from his home any longer than he had to. Ever since the boy from the future foretold Goku's death, his family had taken a larger role in his priorities.

"Aw, come on, ChiChi. You know how important this training is. We've got to be strong enough to defeat the androids so they don't destroy the world."

On and on the woman argued, even in the face of sensible fact. Even with his ears plugged and covered, he could still hear that harpy screech of hers all the way to the center of his brain.

"Can't you just give it a rest for at least one night?" Piccolo shouted toward the lonely house on the mountainside. "I can't train at my best if I can't sleep from all the headaches!"


	7. He's Back

**He's Back**

"What's taking him so long?" Vegeta grumbled, crossing his arms once more. He felt uncomfortable in the borrowed clothing - having worn nothing but stretchable uniforms since he could remember - and he missed his gloves.

Worse than his degrading appearance was the way everyone seemed to dismiss his presence. He was used to being a commanding force, but ever since the mysterious, purple-haired boy appeared out of nowhere, he'd been forced to stretch his patience to its limits.

"They must have a lot to talk about." Krillen answered.

Vegeta shifted his weight to the other foot. How dare Kakarot make him wait longer! He'd searched long and hard for the other Saiyan, positive that he was using some special training technique. Now he's being made to wait even more? Insufferable!

"I wonder how two strangers could have so much to talk about?" Bulma said.

"They can't!" Vegeta growled. "It's just a diversion. Kakarot's stalling because he knows I've gotten much stronger. He's afraid to fight me!"

"Yeah, you just keep thinking that," Bulma laughed.


	8. Doomed

**Doomed**

He raced. His heart beat wildly and pulsed in his throat. The wind whizzing past his ears as he flew close to the ground was so loud, he couldn't hear if he was being followed or not.

"Why did I do that?" Krillen whispered angrily to himself. "How could I do something so stupid?"

He suddenly stopped behind a large boulder and pressed his sweating back against the rock, completely hidden in its shadow from the waning moonlight. Struggling to catch his breath, he willed his heart to slow so he could listen for any sign of approaching threat over the blood pounding in his ears.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" he berated himself. "Why did I let myself get talked into this?"

"That was great!" Goku's instantaneous appearance nearly stopped Krillen's heart altogether.

"Great?" he snapped at his friend, still keeping his voice to a whisper. "What was so great? We almost got caught! I can't believe I went along with your hare-brained plan! How did you even come up with this idea in the first place?"

"Aw, come on, Krillen," Goku chided. "It was just a little bit of fun. Besides, you were the one who said we needed to take a break from all the training."

"A suicide mission was definitely not what I was thinking. You do realize you almost got me killed, don't you? The least you could've done was pop me out of there with you."

Goku laughed and clapped Krillen on the shoulder. "You were already miles away before I even got my hands on these," he said, holding up a pair of black, lace panties. "What did you get?"

Krillen looked down. His sweaty palms seemed to have partially disintegrated the spoils of his quest. "I'm not sure, but I think they're edible." He held them up for a closer look. "They look too big to be Bulma's."

"They're mine!"

The last thing Krillen saw was a huge, gloved fist.


	9. Careful, Yamcha!

**Careful, Yamcha!**

"Vegeta got beat up by a girl?!" Yamcha exclaimed. His initial shock was quickly replaced with laughter and he rolled on the floor holding his aching stomach.

"You wouldn't laugh if you'd been there," Krillen said, still shaking from his own experience with the fem fatale. "She was brutal! Super Saiyan wasn't even enough to stop her!"

"Yeah, but...a girl? I wish I'd been there! I would've paid every zeni I owned to watch that! The mighty Prince of Saiyans pulverized by a girl!"

"That's no ordinary girl," Krillen pointed out. "No matter how pretty she is, that woman's still a ruthless android."

"Pretty, hunh? Sounds like you're attracted to her," Bulma teased.

"Attracted to a killing machine?" Yamcha asked, slapping the smaller fighter on the back. "I didn't know you liked that kind of woman, Krillen. Take my advice and get a mail-order Lovebot instead. At least they only kick your butt when you tell them to."

"Careful, Yamcha," Bulma warned, her face burning an angry red. "I could kick yours just as hard as that android did Vegeta's."


	10. Beside the Seashore

**Beside the Seashore**

"What are you doing here?" Number 18 asked.

She didn't need to turn around to see who was walking hesitantly toward her over the rocky ground of the seaside cliff. The island was deserted and there had been no boats in sight, which meant the intruder to her solitude had flown here. Only one fighter would dare follow her all this way, even though it took him long enough to get there. Humans were so slow and fragile.

"You're pretty stupid to come here alone. You know you're no match for me in a fight."

"I'm not here to fight," Krillen answered.

He approached slowly, but without fear. It was more as if he were trying not to spook her, seeing how close he could get without her reacting. She let him get close enough to punch if he provoked her enough, and then glared down at the short man, stopping him in his tracks.

"I suppose you want me to thank you for the dragon wishes," she said, her gaze returning to the way the sun sparkled off the ocean.

Krillen sighed. "I'm just sorry I couldn't turn you and your brother human again."

Number 18 snorted and rolled her eyes. "After all this unlimited energy and strength? Who'd want to go back to being a weak human, anyway? I don't think either of us would've thanked you for that."

"Speaking of your brother..." He glanced nervously around as if expecting Number 17 to jump out and attack at any moment.

"He decided he wanted to go off and see the world," she answered. "See what's changed while we were...frozen."

"You didn't want to go with him? Why not?"

"I'm really not the 'wandering around the world' type. I think I'll just look for a good place to settle down."

"All by yourself?"

She gave him another glare, and he wisely stopped talking. They stood side by side in silence watching the waves crash against the rocky cliffside until the sun sank low along the horizon. Every now and then, 18 would feel the weight of Krillen's gaze and she would self-consciously tuck a stray lock of hair back behind her ear.

"Don't worry," she said. "I can manage just fine on my own."

"I can't," Krillen whispered.


	11. After Fusion

After Fusion

A shiver ran down Vegeta's spine making goosebumps break out all over his skin. His stomach rolled and he had to stop and take a few deep, calming breaths while Kakarot's back was turned.

"Revolting," he said aloud, rubbing his gloved hands down his arms.

"Yeah, this place is pretty gross," Kakarot agreed.

Vegeta didn't contradict the other Saiyan. Although he could've been describing their surroundings - the dripping insides of the pink menace could make even the strongest of stomachs rebel - it wasn't the sight that made him sick. And it wasn't the sticky, gummy substance he was trying to wipe off his skin.

"Disgusting." He forced his hands to drop to his sides, where they balled into tight fists.

"Do you think our insides look like this?" Kakarot asked, poking a gooey strand that stretched above them.

No, it wasn't anything around him that made his flesh crawl, it was on the inside where he couldn't reach. The feeling of being trapped inside the same body as his greatest rival was still fresh in his mind. The strangeness of moving muscles that were at the same time his own and someone else's. Having thoughts that were mingled with another's. If the atmosphere hadn't forced them apart, how would he have endured being trapped inside the same body as that fool for the rest of their lives?

"Insufferable!" he grumbled, walking off down the long tunnel leading deeper into the creature.

Although the massive power the two of them generated while fused together was intoxicating, the overwhelming goodness of the other occupant was too much for Vegeta to tolerate. He felt dirty and tainted by it somehow, but knew no amount of scrubbing could remove the feeling. Kararot's kindness and righteousness had merged with his cruelty and immorality all the way down to their souls and Vegeta wondered if he'd ever truly be himself again.


	12. Rivals

Rivals

"We've been rivals for too long," Goku said, wiping blood from his eyes.

"Only because you refuse to stay dead, Kakarot," Vegeta answered, popping a dislocated finger back into place.

"Aw, come on." Goku tore the rest of his tattered shirt free from his back and let it blow away with the desert wind. "We've had a lot of good times as friends."

"Name one."

Goku scratched the back of his head. "Well, there was that one time...no that wasn't you. How about when...no that wasn't me."

Vegeta rolled the one eye that wasn't completely swollen shut. "You see? We're not friends, we're rivals. That's all we are."

Goku's eyebrows narrowed, then he suddenly let out a hearty laugh. "Hey, Vegeta, at least we're friendly rivals."

Vegeta glared over at the smiling Saiyan, unwilling to let the other man know they were actually in agreement. "Whatever!"

Goku held out a hand and Vegeta reluctantly clasped his wrist. They helped each other to their feet and started limping back toward home.


	13. Vegeta, The Pro

Vegeta, the Pro

"So is Vegeta any good at it?" ChiChi whispered, dropping into the patio chair the surly Saiyan had just vacated.

Bulma smiled as she watched her husband walk proudly around the side of the house. "He wasn't at first, but he's gotten much better. He really is a quick learner."

"Maybe I should have you teach Goku." ChiChi grabbed a cookie from the plate on the table and waved it around for emphasis. "He really doesn't have the knack for it, you know. He certainly doesn't listen to me. He just rushes through it, complaining about missing training time." She popped the cookie into her mouth and chewed in frustration.

"Vegeta used to do that, too," Bulma admitted, pouring the other woman a tall glass of lemonade. "But when I made him keep doing it over and over until I was satisfied, he finally slowed down and realized it was just easier to do it right the first time. Now, he's a pro."

ChiChi took a drink, then shook her head angrily as she set the glass down hard enough to shake the table. "Well, I've all but given up on Goku. He's hardly around, anyway." A smile suddenly spread across her face as an idea struck her. "Say! Do you think I could borrow Vegeta? I'd only need him maybe once a month or so. It'd be nice to have it done right at least once in awhile."

Bulma tipped her head and tapped her chin in thought. "He may not agree," she warned, "but who knows what he'd be willing to do to prove he's better than Goku at something. I guess all we can do is ask." She turned toward the house and shouted, "Vegeta!"

"I heard what you were saying," Vegeta called from where he hovered halfway up the side of the house. "And the answer is no! It's humiliating enough in my own home!"

"Could you at least show Goku how you do it?" ChiChi called up to him. "He's never been able to do it properly."

"I'm sure he hasn't," Vegeta agreed, "but I absolutely refuse!"

"Aw, come on, Vegeta," his wife sweet-talked. "You're so good at it! Maybe if you make it a competition..."

"I said no!" he snapped, dropping to the ground. "If a woman can't teach a man to do it the way she wants, she should wash her own damn windows!" He threw his sponge into the bucket in a splash of soapy water and stormed off into the house.


	14. Goading

**Goading**

"I won't give in, Kakarot!" Vegeta swore, panting. With difficulty, he raised himself from his knees and stood on shaky legs. "My pride won't allow me to be defeated by the likes of you!"

"What pride?" Goku asked, his sneer made even more sinister by his powerful Super Saiyan 4 level. "Is that the pride that kept you Frieza's slave for all those years? Or the one that allowed you to fall under Babidi's influence so easily? Or let Bebi take complete control and make you his puppet?"

Vegeta ground his teeth in anger, summoning strength from the very core of his being. Shame clouded his mind, making everything an eerie shade of red. Like the blood he desperately wanted to extract from his long-time rival. With a primal yell, he launched volleys of energy blasts until the entire area was consumed in dust and debris.

From directly behind him, Vegeta sensed Goku's sudden appearance. Before he could turn, a hard fist slammed into the middle of his back, driving all breath from his body. The landscape turned a dull gray as Vegeta fell to the ground, his Super Saiyan level slipping back to normal, the battle lost.

"I keep telling you, Vegeta," Goku said, his own power decreasing. Back to his child-sized body, he sat on the ground next to the barely conscious Vegeta. "If you keep letting people goad you into losing your temper, you'll never be able to make it to the next level. You have to stop taking everything that's said during a fight so personally and work on your focus." He patted Vegeta's back and the older Saiyan winced in pain. "Don't worry. We can work on that again next time."


	15. Serving Frieza

**Serving Frieza**

"Lord Frieza, Prince Vegeta is here," Dodoria announced and opened the door wider to admit the fighter, still bloodied and reeking of battle.

"Vegeta!" Zarbon snapped. "You could have at least cleaned up before presenting yourself."

"No matter. Leave us," Frieza ordered. When the two bodyguards departed, he smiled down at the man kneeling at his feet. "Welcome back, Vegeta."

"You have another mission for the Saiyans, Lord Frieza?" Vegeta asked, swallowing hard the bile of forced servitude.

"I have a job just for you, my Saiyan prince," he answered, circling Vegeta like a predator.

"I'll have my pod prepared at once." Vegeta rose to leave, but Frieza blocked his exit.

"You know what I mean," Frieza said. He pointing toward the door leading to the adjacent room and licked his lips in anticipation.

Vegeta's hands clenched. He would gladly endure a thousand battles than serve Frieza in this way. "Get one of your lap dogs to do it," he asked. "I'm tired from battle."

"Come now, Vegeta," Frieza cooed. "No one can do it better than you."

"Can it wait until I have my injuries tended to?" he asked, attempting to delay the inevitable for as long as possible. "At least until I've had a chance to shower?"

Frieza shook his head. "You don't appear too injured for this. I've waited all this time for you to return, so you're fine as you are."

Vegeta could tell by Frieza's stance he was not going to escape this distasteful chore. With as much pride as he could muster, he strode over to the door and kicked it open. Pots and pans slammed to the stove as Vegeta prepared to serve Frieza his favorite dishes.

"Saiyans cooking!" Vegeta cursed under his breath. "It's so degrading!"


	16. Please?

**Please?** (Goku & Piccolo)

"Come on, Piccolo," Goku pleaded, following the Namekian around as he prepared their campsite for the night.

"No."

"Please? We're out here all alone. No one's watching."

"No!" Piccolo snapped, attempting to walk away from the annoying Saiyan once more.

"What if I promise..."

"I said 'NO' and I mean 'NO'!"

Piccolo launched himself into the air to escape the incessant pleading, but Goku caught him by the foot, holding him in place. The Namekian glared back down at him as he struggled to free himself from the iron grip.

Goku looked up at him, his lower lip trembling with sadness. "Why not? I thought you were my friend."

Piccolo had seen this childish look before on Gohan, but seeing it on the adult Saiyan's face did absolutely nothing to melt his heart. "Because I said so!"

"Give me one good reason," Goku pouted, pulling the struggling man back down to the ground by his leg. "One good reason and then I'll leave you alone and promise never to bring it up again."

"For the last time," Piccolo shouted, "I am not going to let you try on my hat and cape!"


	17. Thoughts

**Thoughts From 'The New-And-Approved' Number 18**

I didn't ask for this!

Why would he make this wish for me anyway? I tried to kill his friends; wanted to succeed with every fiber of my being. I would have killed him, too, if he hadn't been so weak and pathetic. So, I let him live and even gave him a little peck on the cheek as a joke.

If it had been my choice, I would have wished for something a lot more selfish.

Or was he being selfish?

Did he wish for the bombs inside our bodies to be removed for some plan I don't understand? Did he do this to make me indebted to him? So I would owe him? So he would have some hold over me?"

"Fat chance, Krillen!"


	18. Watching Her Fly Away

**Watching Her Fly Away** (Krillin & Number 18)

"There she goes," Krillin thought as he watched Number 18 take to the sky. He stood and stared until he could no longer see any trace of her, then sat down and rested his chin in his hands.

"Am I destined to be alone for the rest of my life?" he asked himself. "I don't want to believe it, but it seems I am. The only other woman that made me feel this way broke my heart.

"Why do I feel this way for someone I don't even know? Someone who destroyed entire cities, killed probably millions of people...tried to kill my friends? It just doesn't make sense. But whenever I look at her, my heart pounds in my ears and I can't breathe!

"That's why I made the wish. I can let everyone else think what they want, but I just wanted to give her a chance at a normal life. A life where she can live in peace, maybe settle down, possibly have her own family. I just want her to be happy."

Krillen stood and looked up once again to where the blond-haired android had disappeared, and felt an empty hole in his heart. This felt even worse than when Maron left him, and they'd been an actual couple. How could he hurt this bad now?

"I can't stand it!" Krillen thought as he launched himself into the sky. "I'm going to find her!"


	19. In and Out

**In and Out**

Vegeta confidently shoved it in only to have it pop right back out again.

"Vegeta?" Goku asked.

"Just wait a second," he answered. Again, he pushed it in. Again, it came back out.

"Problem?" Goku asked, trying to conceal the smile that would only irk the other Saiyan.

"No!" he snapped and shoved it in even harder. It slid out.

"Need help?" Goku offered with a sigh, his patience nearly at its limit.

"Hang on!" Vegeta took a deep breath to control his anger, pulled it straight, aimed, and shoved again. It seemed to want to stay in, but then popped back out once more.

"Really, Vegeta, can I just..." He reached for it, but Vegeta batted his hand away.

"I can handle this, Kakarot!" he yelled in Goku's face.

With god-like speed, Goku snatched the bill from Vegeta's hand. He carefully smoothed the wrinkles out against the edge of the pop machine and lightly pushed it into the slot where it was immediately reeled in and accepted.


	20. Is It Worth It?

**Is It Worth It?**

Goku and Vegeta sat side by side on the mountaintop and looked out over the beautiful landscape below. The sun nearing the horizon made their shadows stretch out far behind them.

"Tell me, Kakarot," Vegeta said. "Are these earthlings really worth our protection?"

"What do you mean?" Goku asked, giving his long-time friend and rival a surprised look. "Of course they are!"

"But look at what they do to their planet," Vegeta reasoned. "They dump garbage everywhere - on land, in the waters, and even spew it into the air. Then they cut down the trees that can provide them with clean air, so more and more people get sick from breathing that poison. Their food is laced with insecticides and hormones that continually make them weaker. They strip the land bare to fuel their recreation and then complain when it runs out and their soil is ruined. They are a selfish species that think nothing of their planet's future."

Goku considered Vegeta's words as he looked down at the lush vegetation still covering his mountain. Would even this sanctuary be violated by the earthlings Vegeta so detested?

"That may be so," Goku said. "But we would be even more selfish than them if we did nothing."


	21. Home Planet

**Home Planet**

"What are we doing here?" Vegeta asked, landing softly beside Goku. He quickly glanced around The Lookout and wasn't surprised it looked exactly as it did before it was destroyed during the battle with Buu. "I am not going back into the Time Chamber. Especially with you!"

"You know, Vegeta," Goku began, ignoring his question, "I met a lot of different races of people all those years I spent in Other World. The strongest in every universe. But I didn't see one other Saiyan."

Vegeta snorted. "You wouldn't unless you took a tour of hell. Our race may be strong, but we didn't have many other redeeming qualities."

"So, since I didn't get to meet any Saiyans there, I thought maybe you could show me around our home planet." Goku held his arms out in excitement, but Vegeta just narrowed his eyes at him.

"Has your brain finally turned to mush from all the fighting? There is no Planet Vegeta." He crossed his arms and turned his back to the other Saiyan to hide the pain in his eyes. "And every other Saiyan was either hunted down or sent on missions they couldn't possibly win. We're the last of our race, Kakarot. Frieza saw to that."

"That's exactly why we're going to take a trip to the past," Goku answered with a smile. When Vegeta turned around and gave him a puzzled look, Goku called out to The Lookout's caretaker. "Mr. Popo?"

A turbaned head poked out from the doorway, followed by the rotund demigod. "Ah, Goku. I see you have talked Vegeta into joining you. Everything is prepared as requested. Right this way."

"Thanks, Mr. Popo. Come on, Vegeta." He gestured for Vegeta to follow him inside and the older Saiyan reluctantly followed. The two fighters followed their escort through the labyrinth of the building until they stopped outside a door carved with an image of a clock without hands on it.

"All right," Goku said, rubbing his hands together. "Are you ready for this Vegeta?"

"I still have no idea what you're talking about, Kakarot," he grumbled.

Mr. Popo opened the door and they stepped inside. A huge pendulum suspended from the ceiling swung back and forth over a circle with intricate, glowing symbols. "Welcome to the Room of Time, or what I like to call the Pendulum Room," he said. "Step inside the circle and close your eyes.

Goku pulled the reluctant Vegeta inside the circle and said, "Close your eyes, Vegeta. Mr. Popo, send us to Planet Vegeta before it was destroyed."

Vegeta felt the strange sensation of increased temperature and gravity then opened his eyes to a planet he thought he would never see again.


End file.
